Volcanoes, Waspbees, and Hummingflies
by Lee Savage
Summary: An adolescent Lin Beifong asks her parents where babies come from. It goes as well as you'd expect. Rated T for discussions about fertile valleys.


Note: This makes a brief reference to "The Search."

* * *

Azula does not have a maternal bone in her body. If anything, she's the father Lin never had as a street orphan. Now, Lin has a family. Not only does she have a mom and dad, but she has grandparents on both sides. She has aunts and uncles and friends, though she is not a particularly personable young woman.

Lin likes the bright afternoons of speaking to Honora in the royal garden when she visits the palace. It's so different than the hustle and bustle in Republic City. Though she doesn't see any of her other family members very often, she enjoys the palace and she enjoys their company, even when things are ... interesting.

Her paternal grandmother is a kind woman. Sometimes, Lin sees her Aunt Kiyi, but never Kiyi's father. Her grandmother does not stay at the royal palace all the time, and Lin's told not to bother to converse with Grandfather Ozai during this period of time because he will not speak to anyone; of course, Azula always ensures that Ursa is there when they make the travel - just as she ensures that she has something better to do when Tenzin and either of his parents or his uncle are around.

Lin rarely sees her paternal grandfather. When he's allowed out of confinement, he hardly talks except for moments when he's in the company of his wife. The couple sits at the turtleduck pond in silence. Azula never speaks to him, never acknowledges his presence with a nod or a wave.

Lin is just barely into puberty, and she is already taller than Azula. The teenager takes note of this when she and her parents are ready to sit down for dinner. She has never quite understood Azula, even when her surrogate father has been around in her life for a long while. She's heard things. People suggest that Azula's current way of life as the partner of the Avatar's powerful and wealthy friend is some workaround attempt at world domination. Azula never quits, and she never does anything without a distinct purpose.

But Lin Beifong does not care about conspiracies. She sits across from both her parents, tucking her feet under herself. Toph props her own feet on the dinner table. Azula raises a brow, but says nothing.

There is a comfortable silence before Lin decides to crack it in two. "I wanted to know - there were kids at my school talking ..."

Azula studies her tea disinterestedly. "Yes?"

"How exactly does having babies work?" Lin asks.

Neither of her parents react with surprise, though it takes them a good while before either of them speaks.

"I wouldn't know," Azula says. "I've never been into self-degradation."

Lin clears her throat, and swears that something sticks at the back of it. "I mean, you know ..."

Azula's eyes look to the ceiling for a moment, and then she says candidly, "An unfortunate woman carries a parasite in her body for several months. It wreaks havoc on her body, and then it goes from being a parasite inside her body to being a parasite outside her body until she tires of it."

Toph snorts and crosses her arms. "Glad the moving facts of life can be so lovingly described by the warmest person in the world." There's no seriousness in her tone.

Azula extends a hand and counters, "Am I wrong?"

"Okay," Lin replies uncertainly, "but what about before? How does it - uh, happen?"

Azula deadpans, "I would ask your mother to draw you a picture, but her artistry skills are as apt as her writing and reading skills."

Toph smirks and says nonchalantly, "Wow, didn't see that one coming."

Azula sniffs and tilts her head haughtily. "Of course you didn't."

"What about - I think I know the basics, but it's just - new. How did your parents explain it?" Lin says. The entire concept of intimacy, that closeness, is so strange. Most - if not all - of the adults in Lin's life have likely done it; it's normal, and yet it's something so oddly profound to her. She thinks of her kindling crush on her childhood friend and it turns her stomach to ashes, not that she'd ever visible show her confusion to most people.

Toph picks her teeth before answering, "My mom sat me down and said, 'Toph, sweetie, you know about the waspbees, the hummingflies, and the flowers?' Then there was some mumbo jumbo and pollination and spreading seeds and I think Dad walked out of the room."

Lin's brow furrows. "What does that have to do with, um, people in bed together?"

Toph shrugs. "I have no idea."

Lin looks to Azula, who meets her gaze steadily. After a pensive moment, Azula begins, "Ah, I recall something about volcanoes and fertile valleys. That was what Father said to me, anyway. Mother wasn't around, and Father wasn't especially, hm, detailed or knowledgeable on how to proceed. Grandfather Azulon was never the most understanding instructor, and he didn't particularly bother with rearing the child he'd been stuck with twenty years after his first. He was a conqueror, not a babysitter.

"My father was still expected to produce prophetically strong and able children. He partially succeeded with me, of course - " Toph chokes back a laugh. Azula ignores her. " - so he knew the basics beforehand. I'm guessing Mother still had quite a bit of a dilemma on her hands."

Lin regards Azula warily. "What did he say to Uncle Zuzu?"

Azula's smile broadens. Normally, at the mention of her brother, the former princess's countenance pinches. He's a bundle of goodwill and long anecdotes, and it ceaselessly annoys Azula. Her sudden amusement unsettles Lin; Azula has never been one to smile so openly and genuinely. "Oh, nothing. Zuzu was forbidden from attempting to reproduce. I believe Father considered passing a law to make it so. No wonder Mai was always so dreary."

Lin says, "But ... he was the prince. How could he not ..."

The firebender replies, "I believe I said something to my brother about the volcanoes, and he feared for months that he'd awaken one day and wind up having magma pour out of certain orifices."

"Wow," Toph states.

"Well, luckily, I don't recall any beds having holes burnt through them." Azula adds, "I was a very confused child."

"That explains a lot," Toph says bluntly. "You did seem pretty confused." Lin rubs her hands together tries to mellow down any discomfort or nervousness; she has the feeling she doesn't want to hear this conversation.

Azula gives the earthbender an unimpressed stare. "Excuse me? I wasn't the one who split the ground in two."

Toph waves a hand. "Well, someone in that room lit one of the pillows on fire, and, unless I missed something - yeah, yeah, insert blind joke here - I'm pretty sure it wasn't me." The police chief shrugs again. "Not that it lasted long, so it wasn't like we were that distracted." Azula does not huff or retort, but her expression could set both the arctic poles on fire.

Then, Azula eases into a conspiratorial expression and says to Toph, "Do you recall? We scarred my half-sister for life when she caught us."

Toph leans back and laughs. "Ah, yeah, yeah, I remember the casualties."

Lin sighs.


End file.
